Nottingham Forest might have won the famous Champions League trophy twice but talking about it in 2025 is quite remarkable.
Enter Nuno Espirito Santo who is refusing to give up the miraculous chase.
This time 12 months ago, it was panic stations at the City Ground. Forest were deducted four points after breaching PSR, plunging the team into the relegation zone.
Whilst everyone else panicked, Espirito Santo told his Forest team to relax and forget about the noise and simply win as many matches as possible to stay in the Premier League.
Thankfully, Forest were practically safe with a game to spare and the rest as they say is history.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
Nottingham Forest fans learn fixture dates for 2025/26 Champions League
The Reds aren’t getting carried away – this is Forest after all.
However, things are looking far rosier this season than they have done in the two previous Premier League campaigns and getting excited shouldn’t be frowned upon.
Forest narrowly avoided relegation on two occasions and now Evangelos Marinakis has ensured that Espirito Santo has been given the tools to take the club to the next level.
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Now, the dream might have become a little bit more real for Forest as UEFA have announced the dates for next season’s Champions League.
Champions League group phase matches 2025/26 Date
Matchday 1 16-18 September 2025
Matchday 2 30 September – 1 October 2025
Matchday 3 21/22 October 2025
Matchday 4 4/5 November 2025
Matchday 5 25/26 November 2025
Matchday 6 9/10 December 2025
Matchday 7 20/21 January 2026
Matchday 8 28 January 2026
Champions League group phase matches 2025/26
Forest have a seven-point buffer to sixth with Newcastle in that position currently holding a game in hand on the Reds.
Espirito Santo’s team have been in third since December 29th and it’s already been a remarkable season, with Forest now desperate to finish the job and qualify for the Champions League.
The last time Nottingham Forest played in the European Cup
You have to go back to the 1980/81 campaign to discover when Forest played European Cup football.
The Reds have never qualified for the competition whilst he’s been called the Champions League but did win the competition of old in 1979 and 1980.
Forest didn’t deliver a brilliant defence of their second crown and were actually knocked out in the first round to CSKA Sofia.
Brian Clough’s team were beaten 1-0 in both legs with Liverpool going on to win the competition that year.
It’s been a long wait for Forest to return to the competition and hopefully, in a couple of months, Forest can be looking ahead to glamourous Champions League fixtures.